Abstract: In various example embodiments, a system and method to provide query linguistic service is provided. An initial query term set is received. Phrase recognition is performed on the initial query term set to determine recognized phrases. Using the determined recognized phrases, one or more synonyms for each of the recognized phrases are determined. Results matching the initial query term set and any selected synonyms from the determined one or more synonyms are determined.

Abstract: A system and method of metadata refinement using behavioral patterns is disclosed. In some embodiments, user behavioral data for results of a search query is received. The results can include an untagged item and a plurality of tagged items. A determination can then be made that the tagged items have been assigned a first type of metadata not assigned to the untagged item. The untagged item can then be identified as a candidate to be tagged with the first type of metadata assigned to the tagged items based on the user behavioral data. In some embodiments, the user behavioral data comprises clickstream data indicating that a user selected the untagged item and the tagged items during a single search event.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, the Translation Engine receives a current query in a first language from a target account. The Translation Engines determines a predicted product category for the current query from product categories of respective sets of historical queries from reference accounts. The Translation Engines determines a select translation of the current query in a second language based on the select translation triggering search results in the predicted product category.

Abstract: A system and method of metadata refinement using behavioral patterns is disclosed. In some embodiments, user behavioral data for results of a search query is received. The results can include an untagged item and a plurality of tagged items. A determination can then be made that the tagged items have been assigned a first type of metadata not assigned to the untagged item. The untagged item can then be identified as a candidate to be tagged with the first type of metadata assigned to the tagged items based on the user behavioral data. In some embodiments, the user behavioral data comprises clickstream data indicating that a user selected the untagged item and the tagged items during a single search event.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method includes receiving an electronic document that comprises a plurality of sections. The method includes marking the plurality of sections as a content section or a non-content section using a visual attribute of the sections that includes at least one of a width of the section, a density of the plurality of hyperlinks in the section, a size of a font of text in the section and whether a title of the electronic document overlaps with text in the section. The method also includes storing the marking of the plurality of sections of the electronic document in a machine-readable medium.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for providing information tagging in a networked system is disclosed. The apparatus in an example embodiment includes a tag engine configured to process a database of categorized product listings; to receive a user-provided tag associated with at least one of the product listings; to retain the user-provided tag; and to serve the user-provided tag to a user viewing at least one of the product listings.

Abstract: A method of propagating annotations of content items to a search query is disclosed. A strength of a correspondence between a search query and a title of a listing of an item on a network-based publication system is determined. The strength of the correspondence is based on an analysis of a set of actions by a set of users who submitted the search query. A set of annotations corresponding to the title is generated. The set of annotations is propagated to an additional search query such that the set of annotations and the strength of the correspondence are used by a search engine to enhance search results corresponding to the additional search query.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method includes receiving an electronic document that comprises a plurality of sections. The method includes marking the plurality of sections as a content section or a non-content section using a visual attribute of the sections that includes at least one of a width of the section, a density of the plurality of hyperlinks in the section, a size of a font of text in the section and whether a title of the electronic document overlaps with text in the section. The method also includes storing the marking other plurality of sections of the electronic document in a machine-readable medium.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for providing information tagging in a networked system is disclosed. The apparatus in an example embodiment includes a tag engine configured to process a database of categorized product listings; to receive a user-provided tag associated with at least one of the product listings; to retain the user-provided tag; and to serve the user-provided tag to a user viewing at least one of the product listings.

Abstract: User-specific queries for items may be collected from a search engine in language A and corresponding behavioral data with respect to items returned for the queries, such as items viewed, watched, liked, clicked, and bought by the user may also be collected. Similar data may be gathered for user specific queries from a search engine in language B. For query pairs, each in a different language, the system may measure the similarity of their user behavioral data using language independent features such as images, UPC codes, price, seller, category, and the like, and using translated features such as descriptors that comprise keywords that describe the items returned in response to the queries. Those pairs of queries in the two languages with high similarity of user behavior are statistically translations of each other.

Abstract: A method of forming parallel corpora comprises receiving sets of items in first language and second languages, each of the sets having one or more associated descriptions and metadata. The metadata is collected from the two sets of items and are aligned using the metadata. The aligned metadata are mapped from the first language to the second language for each of the sets. The descriptions of two items are fetched and the structural similarity of the descriptions is measured to assess whether two items are likely to be translations of each other. For mapped items with structurally similar descriptions, the mapped item descriptions are formed into respective sentences in first language and in the second language. The sentences are parallel corpora which may be used to translate an item from the first language to the second language, and also to train a machine translation system.

Abstract: In various example embodiments, a system and method to provide query linguistic service is provided. An initial query term set is received. Phrase recognition is performed on the initial query term set to determine recognized phrases. Using the determined recognized phrases, one or more synonyms for each of the recognized phrases are determined. Results matching the initial query term set and any selected synonyms from the determined one or more synonyms are determined.

Abstract: In various example embodiments, a system and method to provide query linguistic service is provided. An initial query term set is received. Phrase recognition is performed on the initial query term set to determine recognized phrases. Using the determined recognized phrases, one or more synonyms for each of the recognized phrases are determined. Results matching the initial query term set and any selected synonyms from the determined one or more synonyms are determined.

Abstract: A system and method of metadata refinement using behavioral patterns is disclosed. In some embodiments, user behavioral data for results of a search query is received. The results can include an untagged item and a plurality of tagged items. A determination can then be made that the tagged items have been assigned a first type of metadata not assigned to the untagged item. The untagged item can then be identified as a candidate to be tagged with the first type of metadata assigned to the tagged items based on the user behavioral data. In some embodiments, the user behavioral data comprises clickstream data indicating that a user selected the untagged item and the tagged items during a single search event.

Abstract: Methods and systems to perform image searches in a network-based publication system, such as image searches for items available for purchase via the network-based publication system, are described. In some example embodiments, the methods and systems access an image of an item, identify a purchaser of and/or user associated with the item in the image, query, using the image, a collection of images whose contents include items that are associated with the purchaser and that are offered for purchase by a network-based publication system, and match the item in the image to one or more of the items offered for purchase based on a result of the query. The network-based publication system may then present the matched one or more items, or recommendations for the matched items, to a user that provided the image.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for facilitating social connections are disclosed herein. A purchase or interest in a first item by a first user is tracked. A match between one or more second users and the first user is determined, each of the one or more second users having purchased or shown interest in the first item and located in a same geographical area as the first user. Providing a notification to a device associated with the first user, the notification configured to facilitate initiating contact with one or more of the matching second users.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for predicting a brand name of a product are disclosed herein. A product identification number for the product is converted into a normalized global trade item number (GTIN). For each of a plurality of GTIN prefixes corresponding to the normalized GTIN, brand names and counts of each of the brand names using product information stored in a product catalog are identified. A probability distribution of the brand names is determined in accordance with the brand names and the counts of the brand names for the plurality of the GTIN prefixes. A predicted brand name for the product is identified from among the brand names for the plurality of the GTIN prefixes, the predicted brand name having a highest probability score in the probability distribution of the brand names.

Abstract: A system and method for providing product research help to a consumer doing internet shopping. A consumer helper application for internet commerce has been designed to integrate the techniques that are currently used by many internet consumers into a single application program. For example, the consumer helper application allows a user to take notes, store web site links, store web site annotations, obtain collaborative input, and perform other tasks commonly used by web site consumers. The consumer helper application stores all of the information gathered in a single place. Information provided by other consumers may be shared using the consumer helper application. The consumer helper application will suggest specific items for a consumer to purchase based up on the information gathered by the consumer into the consumer helper application.

Abstract: A system and method for providing product research help to a consumer doing internet shopping. A consumer helper application for internet commerce has been designed to integrate the techniques that are currently used by many internet consumers into a single application program. For example, the consumer helper application allows a user to take notes, store web site links, store web site annotations, obtain collaborative input, and perform other tasks commonly used by web site consumers. The consumer helper application stores all of the information gathered in a single place. Information provided by other consumers may be shared using the consumer helper application. The consumer helper application will suggest specific items for a consumer to purchase based up on the information gathered by the consumer into the consumer helper application.

Abstract: An item record in an item database contains an item description generated by a seller of an item. A server machine is configured to access the item database, analyze the item description, and extract descriptive information by inferring an attribute and a corresponding attribute value from the item description. The attribute and its attribute value constitute an attribute-value pair. The server machine uses the attribute-value pair to map the item record to a product record stored in a product database. The mapping of the item record to the product record is based on comparing the attribute-value pair of the item record to a reference attribute-value pair in the product record to identify the product record. The mapping is performed upon detection of a match between the attribute-value pairs.